Locking mechanism for freight box cars



June 13, 1933. F. AVERHOFF' Y TERRY LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FREIGHT BOX CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 2, 1932 MW WM NR Q June 13, 1933. F. AVERHOFF Y TERRY 1,914,232

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR FREVIGHT BOX CARS Filed June 2, 1932 ZSheets-Sheet 2 rs I 60 .9

1 I 3 3mm i 1x105. "\\vzx o ///1 y Patented June 13, 1933 PATENT OFFICE FRANGIECO AVERHOFF Y TERRY, 0F HABANA, CUBA 4 LQCKING MECHANISM FOR FREIGHT BOX CARS Application filed June 2, 1932; Serial No. 615,009.

r "My invention relates to locking mechanism for freight box cars for preventing theft of merchandise from the car. The mechanism includes means by which the locking bolts are thrown into locking position by air pressure derived from the brake air-line of the car; it also includes means which will prevent throwing the bolts into unlocking position while the air-line pressure is on; it also includes permutation-lock means for placlng parts of the locking mechanism into a predetermined position before the locking bolts can be thrown into unlocking position; it also includes means for giving an alarm when the bolts are thrown into unlocking position; it also includes means for registering the number of times the locking bolts have been thrown into unlocking position; it also includes means for manually placing the bolts in locking position in the event that the air pressure, from any cause, fails to actuate the locking bolts; italso provides means for holding the car door partially open for Ventilating purposes; it also provides means for giving alarm when access is sought to the permutationdocl-r mechanism for placingv the locking bolts in unlocking position.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the features hereinafter particularly described and then soughtto be clearly defined by the appended claims. reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a freight car, showing the car door closed and locked, and also showing the door to the permutation box opened for access to the permutation setting dials;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Figure 1 of the drawing;

Figure 3 is an elevation, in perspective, of the operating parts assembled, viewed from the interior of the car, and showing position of the parts, when the car door locking bolts are in projected locked position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, with the parts in position when the car door bolts are in unlocked position;

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure l, with the door to the permutation dial box closed, and showing substantially the tum bler racks and associated parts when thecar door bolts are projected to locked position;-

Figure 6 'a vertical section through the combination dial box showing the normal position of the crank pin on the dial shaft for lifting the pivoted arm from dead center when the swinging arm of the master shaft is swung into the registering slots of the permutation rack tumblers in throwing the car door locking bolts into unlocked position;

Figure 7 is a detail ofone of the tumbler rack bars with its elements forming the slot of the rack tumbler and showing the pinion in engagement with the teeth of the rack tumbler for adjusting the tumbler;

Figure 8 is a perspective of one of the 7G brackets which supports flanged guide rollers for the tumbler racks.

In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates a main or master rotatable shaft 'journaledin suitable bearings 2 which may be secured to an inside wall of the car, or other support. To the master shaft 1 are suitably secured crank arms 3, the free ends of which are con nected by pivoted links 4 to the ends of slidable bolts 5 which pass through sleeves 6 positioned so that when the bolts are projected beyond the outer ends of the sleeves the bolts will extend across one end of a sliding door 7 of the car so as to lie in the path of movement of the door and prevent the door sliding far enough to uncover the door opening. The bolts 5, are each provided with a collar 5 which forms a shoulder to limit the outward throw of the bolts. The master shaft n l is also provided with a crank 8 secured to turn with the shaft and connected by pivoted links 9 to the end of a piston-rod 10, the piston-head of which works in a cylinder 11 supported by suitable brackets 11 which receives air through a line 12 in communication with the brake air-line, a control cook or valve 13 being provided in the line 12 to cut off air from the brake air-line to the piston cylinder, when desired. Pressure in cylinder 11 against its piston-head drives the pistonrod 10 so that through links 9 and crank 8 it will rotate the master shaft 1 and throw the locking bolts 5 into locking position, and at the same time place under tension coiled springs 14 which are connected at one end by hook members 15, whose shank is threaded into the master shaft 1, the opposite ends of springs 14 being attached, say by hooks 16 to a suitable support inside the car. So long as there is air pressure in cylinder 11 in excess of the retractile force of springs 14 the locking bolts will not be retracted from their locking position and car door will remain locked. The door locking bolts cannot be withdrawn from their locking position until the parts of the permutation lock means are positioned to permit retractionof the look ing bolts. The permutation lock means includes. racks 17, of which three are illustrated, which correspond to tumblers of a permutation lock. Each rack carries members-17 spaced apartlat adjacent ends to form slots 18, intended to receive a swinging arm 19 when the racks are adjusted to bring the slots18 of the several racks into register with each other when thecar door locking bolts are retracted or withdrawn into their unlocked position. The swinging arm119 is connected at one end to the master shaft 1 so that in rotation of that shaft in one direction theswinging arm will be'moved into the registering slots of the rack tumblers,

which is done to bring the locking bolts into their retracted or unlocked position, and when the arm is in the slots 18, the door bolts are in their unlocked position. The racks 17 are guided in their sliding movement by flanged guide rollers 20 carried by shaft21 supported by a suitable bracket 22 attached to a side wall of the car or otherwise. For

the same' purpose, additional flanged guide rollers 23 carried by shafts 24 supported by a bracket 25 attached to the side wall of the car, may be employed. The racks '17 are raised by pinions or toothed wheels 26 cars ried by shafts 27 journalcd in a suitable bracket 28 supported by arms 29 attached to the wall of the car and also in a plate 30 covering an opening in the side of the car and constituting the inner wall of a box or compartment 31 that contains what corre sponds to a permutation lock operating mechanisnnand which compartment has a suitably hinged door 32 provided with a suitable lock 33, the bolt of which will engage with a suitable keeper 34 for locking the door closed until released by a key controlling the door lock. The shafts 27 are provided within the box 31 with dial plates or disks 35 for turning the shafts 27 in setting the tumbler racks 17 of the permutation, and the disks 35 are provided with suitable characters, for instance, with numerals as illustrated, which serve to fix the predetermined combination for operating the permutation mechanism,

which is made known to the authorized custodian, and the combination of which may be changed as frequently as desired. The shafts 27, or some of them, are preferably provided with ratchet or toothed wheels 36, 1

and pivoted locking dogs 37 by which certain sliding tumbler rack or racks may be held at the adjustment made while another tumbler rack is being adjusted for the particular combination being set. Certain of the tumbler racks may thus be held by the holding dogs to the adjustments made and the hands of the operator left free for other manipulations as desired. The swinging arm 19 of the permutation mechanism has pivotally connected to its free end, an arm 38 by a pivot pin 39 passing through ears 40 projecting from the under side of arm 19, and the end of arm 19 is formed with a slot 41 which will receive the arm 38 when the arm is swung upward, in which position it stands, as shown in Fig. 4, when the door bolts have been retracted to unlocked position. hen the door bo ts arein locked position, as shown in Fig. 3, the pivoted arm 38 is in a horizontal position with its heel or end next to its pivot bearing against the under side of arm 19, and stands at dead center, and under the influence of a suitable spring, which may be a coil spring 42 connected at one end to the arm 38 and at the other to a suitable part of the car. The arm 38 has an anti-friction roller 43 which bears against a plate 44 suitably positioned adjacent to the side wall of the car, and the arm is connected by a cable or chain 44 to a crankpin 45 projected from a shaft 46 which eX- tends through the side plate 30 of the box 31 and is provided inside the box 31 with a dial or disk 47 having numerals similar to the disks 35. When the disks 35 are actuated for setting the rack tumblers 17, the shaft having the disk 47 is also rotated so as to pull on the cable or chain 44*, which passes over an idle sheave 48, and thus the arm 38 is raised at the time the car door bolts have been retracted to their unlocked position, as shown in Figure 4. hen the swinging arm 19 is swung out of the rack tumbler slots by rota-- tion of the master shaft 1, the arm 38 by gravity. assisted by recoil of spring 42, is brought to its dead center position as shown in Fig. 3.

Vithin the box 31 is located an alarm whistle 49 having a suitable exhaust .valve and in communication through a branch 50 with the pipe 12 which leads from the air brake line system of the car so that the whistle receives a portion of the air from the brake system. The valve of the alarm whistle is connected by links 51 and 52, or otherwise, with the door 32 of compartment 31 so that when that door is opened for access to the permutation elements in compartment or box 31, the valve of the alarm whistle is opened and the exhaust of air through the whistle gives'an alarm that access is sought to the mechanism for opening the car door, and the train conductor can investigate to ascertain by whom and why the attempt is being made, and thus an attempt at pilfering the car of its contents may be frustrated.

When the door 32 of the box 31 is shut,'the exhaust valve of the whistle is closed and with the car door shut, then by admitting air, or other brake system actuating fluid into cylinder 11, the master shaft 1 is rotated'by the piston-rod in the direction to throw the door bolts into locked position, at the same time swinging arm 19 out of the slots in the tumbler racks, whereupon the racks drop by gravity and their slots move out of register with each other, and the door bolts stand in locked position. The rack bars drop by gravity until their lower ends rest upon stopblocks 53 suitably positioned for the purpose of having the racks supported with theirslots out of register, and they cannot be brought into register until the cover to the permutation box is unlocked by a key provided for the purpose. As the car door bolts are thrown and held in locked position by air pressure in cylinder 11, the springs 14: are placed under tension. If from any cause the train pressure in cylinder 11 becomes less than the tension of springs 14, the recoil of the springs will turn the master shaft in the direction to retract the door bolts. and if the slots in the racks at such time are in register the retractile.

pull of the springs 14 will swing arm 19 into the slots of the rack tumblers and the door bolts will be held retracted.

if from any cause there should be a failure of air from the brake system to actuate the parts as described. or the springs fail to act, the locking bolts of the door may be manually operated to place them in locking or unlocking position, as desired. For that purpose the car door bolts are each formed with a threaded bore 54* intended to receive a. threaded stein implement 54 so that by 3 means of the stem the door bolts may be drawn into their locking position, or pushed into unlocking position. The bolts accordingly are automatically operated by air from the air line of the brake system, or by springs 14, or manually by manipulation of the threaded stems 54E.

Provision is also made for locking the door in a partially opened position for ventilation purposes. With that in view, tubu- 65 lar sleeves 55 are inserted in the sliding door to "receive the locking bolts when projected. These sleeves will be positioned at points back from the edge of the door as may be determined for the width of the opening to be formed for the ventilation so that when the door is-inoved farenough to bring the tubular sleeves into registration with the bolts they will receive the bolts and the door will be locked partially open as will be understood from the foregoing. These sleeves are threaded at their outer ends, as illustrated, so as to receive screw closure caps 56 so as to close them against the entrance of air or foreign substances from the outside when not receiving the locking'bolts.

To register the number of. times the permutation mechanism has been manipulated 0r actuated for unlocking the car door, a me chanical register 57 of any preferred known type containing a suitable number of registering wheels or disks, not illustrated in detail because no claim is made to its details and the best for the purpose maybe selected. The operative elements of the register will be connected by a rod '58 withthe master rotatable shaft 1, by asiiitable coupling, for example by stem 59 screw threaded into the master shaft and connected to-a yoke 60 attached to the end of the rod at the desired point by a pivot pin 61 passing through the yoke and a selected perforation of a number of perforations 62 formed in the stem 59. hen the master shaft is rotated to throw the door locking bolts, its movement will be transmitted through rod 58 to theregistering mechanism and a register made of the throw of the bolts, and inspection of the registering disks or dials will show the number of times the car door has been opened.

To the master shaft 1 is attached an arm or crank 63 to rotate with it, and it carries a stop-pin 64 threaded for adjustment and intended in one position of the arm to have one end contact with the side wall or other part of the car so as to limit the extent of rotation of the master shaft and thus regulate the extentof travel or movement of the parts actuated from the master shaft.

Resume of operation in locking and unlocking the car door bolts. With the parts positioned as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings the car door bolts are in locked position and so held by the brake line pressure in cylinder 11. To unlock the bolts the pressure in cylinder 11 is released either by the engineer of the train cutting off the train pressure, or by opening the door to the permutation box 31 which permits exhaust of train pressure from cylinder 11 through the exhaust valve of the alarm whistle. Then the rack bars 17 are adjusted to bring their slots 18 into register with each other. This is done by turnin the two shafts 27 which have the toothed dis s 36 so as to bring the slots 18 of their respective racks into register with each other and holding them in their adjusted positions by the locking fingers or dogs 37 in engagement with the teeth of the two disks. Then the dial shaft without a toothed disk is turned so as to adjust the rack bar with which its pinion 26 engages so as to bring the slot 18 of that rack into register with the slots of the other racks, and at the same time the dial of shaft 46- is turned so that the crank pin 45 of the shaft 46 will pull on cable or chain 44* so as to lift pivoted arm 38 of swinging arm 19 above dead center whereupon the recoil of springs 14 will turn the master shaft 1 and swingthe arm 19 into the registering slots 18 of the racks 17, thereby retracting the door bolts 5. The parts will then be in the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the car door may be moved to its open position.

i. When the car door is closed and the door to the permutation setting mechanism box 31 is shut, and brake train-pressure admitted into cylinder 11, the master shaft is turned by the piston rod and the car door bolts thrown into locked position. c When that takes place and with'the swinging arm 19 out of the rack slot 18 of the tumbler racks, the rack bars 17 will drop and carry the rack slots out of-register, and; must again be adjusted into register before the car door bolts can be retracted into unlocked position, which adjustment is made in the manner before described. It will be observed from the foregoing that the car door bolts are projected into locked position by car brake air pressure and cannot beretracted until that pressure is relieved which is under control of the train engineer, or the train conductor, and so long as the train is running the car door cannot be unlocked and opened. Nor can the permutation combination be operated for actuating the tumbler racks except by a person who has been furnished with the combination. The combination may also be changed frequently as desired by forming new combinations formed by selection of numerals from the different dials from which the tumbler racks are adjusted.

If however a station master or attendant at any way station has not been furnished with the combination for operating the parts, the train conductor at any point along the road where the car door has been opened may leave the parts in the unlocked position of the door bolts. and by turning off the stop cock 13 in the air supply pipe 12 prevent air from entering piston cylinder 11 and thus the car door will be left unlocked and can be opened at any station where it is intended to be opened by an employee. However when the stop cook 13 is opened so as to permit train pressure to enter cylinder 11, the door bolts will be projected and held in locked position until parts are operated as has been described.

If from any cause the train pressure should fail to operate in the manner described, the

car door bolts may be moved to locked and also to unlocked positions by manually operated means as hereinbefore described.

I have illustrated and described the preferred details of the various parts but they maybe-changed without departing from the essential features of the invention as defined in the'fo'llowing claims.

Having described the invention and set forth itsmerits what I claim is 1. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts, a master rotatable shaft connectedwith the bolts to project and retract the bolts, a piston. cylinder provided with means to'supply train brake pressure to actuate the piston, means connecting the piston with the master shaft to rotate the latter to projectthe locking bolts under cylinder pressure, a spring connected with the master shaft and placed under tension in rotation of said shaft and by its recoil retracting the door bolts from locked position, and permutation controlled tumbler mechanism, the permutation tumblers being manually set to position them for retraction of the locking bolts upon diminution of brake line pressure.

2. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts, a master rota-table shaft connected with'the bolts to project and retract the bolts in its rotation, a piston cylinder having its piston connected with the master shaft to rotate the same to project the bolts and hold them projected under pressure in the cylinder until the pressure is released, a spring connected with the master shaft and placed under tension when the bolts are projected, and upon release of pressure in the piston cylinder serving to retract the door bolts into unlocked position, and permutation controlled tumbler mechanism, said permutation tumblers being adapted to be manually set to position them for retraction of the locking bolts upon diminution of pressure in the piston cylinder.

3. A car door locking means comprising car door locking bolts, a train pressure receiving cylinder having its piston associated with means including a rotatable master shaft connecting it with the locking bolts to project and hold them in projected locked position by pressure within the cylinder acting on its piston, means for retracting the bolts to unlocked position upon release of pressure in the piston cylinder; and permutation mechanism controlling the retraction of the door bolts into unlocked position. said mechanism includi up; adjustable permutation tumblers formed with slots adapted to be brought into registration upon adjustment of the tumblers, and a member connected to the rotatable mast-er shaft and adapted in rotation of said shaft to be swung into the registering slots of the tumblers upon release of pressure from the piston cylinder in. retraction of the door bolts from locked position and adapted to be swung out of said slots upon rotation of the master shaft under cylinder pressure to throw the door bolts into locked position.

4. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts, a master shaft connected with said bolts and adapted in rotation in one direction to project the bolts int-o locked position and in rotation in an opposite direction to retract said bolts into unlocked position, a piston cylinder having means to receive brake pressure from the pressure brake line of a car, the piston being connected with the master rotatable shaft to utilize the pressure in the cylinder for projecting and holding the door bolts in locked position by the pressure in the cylinder, means for rotating the master shaft in an opposite direction upon release of train pressure in the piston cylinder, adjustable permutation tumblers formed with slots brought into registration upon adjustment of the tumblers, an arm carried by the master shaft adapted to be swung into the registeriug slots of the tumblers upon release of train pressure in the piston cylinder and rotation of the master shaft to retract the door bolts from locked position, said arm being adapted to be swung out of said registering slots upon rotation of the master shaft to throw the door bolts into locked position by train pressure in the piston cylinder. the tumblers moving to carry their slots out of register when said arm is swung to throw the bolts into locked position.

5. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts, a. piston cylinder having means to receive brake pressure from the pressure brake line of a car, the piston of said cylinder being connected with the door looking bolts to hold them in projected locked position under the pressure in the piston cylinder, means for retracting the door bolts into unlocked position upon release of pressure in the piston cylinder, permutation tumblers adjustable to a position permitting the door bolts to be retracted to an unlocked position, and means for adjusting the permutation tumblers to a predetermined extent as controlled by a combination tumbler setting mechanism for unlocking the car door.

6. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts projected and held in locked position by means controlled by pressure from the brake line of a car, means for retracting the bolts to unlocked position, said means including operating mechanism in a box, a pressure actuated alarm operatively connected with the means controlled by the brake line pressure, and provided with a relief exhaust, a lock controlled door to the box, and means connecting said door to the alarm so that opening of the box door will cause exhaust of brake line pressure and sound an alarm.

7. A car door locking means, comprising car door locking bolts, a master rotatable shaft connected with the door bolts and adapted in rotation in one direction to project the bolts into locked position and in rotation in the other direction to retract the bolts into unlocked position, slotted tumbler racks, means for adjusting the racks to bring their slots into registration, an arm connected to the master shaft and adapted to enter the slots of the tumbler racks when the door bolts are retracted to unlocked position and to swing out of the slots when the bolts are projected, and the tumbler racks permitted to move to carry their slots out of registration, an arm pivoted to the arm that is connected to the master shaft and standing at dead center when the master shaft arm is out of the tumbler rack slots, and means for lifting said pivoted arm above dead center when the arm of the master shaft is in the slots of the tumbler racks.

8. A car door locking means comprising car door locking bolts, a piston cylinder having its piston rod coupled with the locking bolts to project the bolts and hold them in locked position by pressure acting on the cylinder piston, means for retracting the locking bolts under release of pressure in the piston cylinder, permutation controlled tumblers operable under one position to render effective the retracting means uponthe release of the piston cylinder pressure to retract the bolts to unlocked position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FRANCISCO AVERHOFF Y TERRY. 

